


Vincent Valentine × Reader/OC

by WATANABEDESU



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21647845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WATANABEDESU/pseuds/WATANABEDESU
Summary: You, Claire Branford, are the last shapeshifter. You were rescued by Cloud Strife, Hero of the planet and peacefully live with a new family and friends.Somehow one of your friend, Vincent Valentine, looks concerned about you.It seems your pasts are connected whatsoever. They are just blurry fragments for you though.For you to live beside your family and friends, you've decided to hide what you are from everyone but Cloud. But, one day, Deepground Soldiers raided Seventh Heaven. And you have to reveal yourself to protect your beloved ones.☆MOBILE FRIENDLY☆☆I also wrote this on Wattpad☆A/N #1 : I'm NOT a native English speaker. There MUST be grammatical errors and typos. Please, excuse me. This story will be edited as I'm going.A/N #2 : This story is few years later after Advent Children. Technically, based on Dirge of Cerberus. But I'm not interested in the story of Cerberus-I love main title, Crisis Core and Advent Children though-, so I just borrow some settings and characters.
Relationships: Vincent Valentine/OC
Kudos: 3





	1. #1

**Author's Note:**

> If you find any grammatical errors or typos, please comment! Wattpad ver. will be better to read!

**"Tifa, Marlene! Go inside!"**  
Deepgroud Soldiers appeared out of nowhere. It's only noon. Today did not seem different from other days. They were just preparing the bar to open. Tifa and Claire and Marlene. Only three of them.  
But now, Someone had to stop the Soldiers and the other had to protect Marlene.   
_'It has to be done. There's no other way.'_ Claire gritted her teeth.

**"Clarie! What do you think you're doing!"** Tifa shouted. Even though she knew someone had to stop the Soldiers, that didn't mean it had to be Claire. Tifa tried to stop her.

**"You have Marlene! Hurry! Go!"**  
Claire didn't even bother to look back. Tifa hesitated just a bit and then nodded, hurrying to go upstairs with Marlene to keep her safe.

*

Tifa couldn't believe what just happened. Claire turned into a ferocious Behemoth and whipped her tail. Deepground Soldiers seemed nothing compared to her. Right after she struck down the Soldiers, Vincent came in. He was utterly taken aback by the view. But he, soon, grasped the situation. He held his gun and pulled the trigger.

**"Vincent! No! Don't shoot! It's Claire!"**  
Tifa exclaimed. But It's too late. Few bullets of Cerberus already got stuck inside her body.

**"What...?"**  
His confused voice rang across the bar. In front of him, there were only corpses of Deepground Soldiers and a behemoth. It was bleeding badly, no, she was bleeding badly. Her body turned back to an original form. Vincent froze.   
_'Was it really her?'_ He felt as if time had stood still.

**"Tifa! Is she okay? She's bleeding!"** Marlene cried out loud from upstairs. She was about to burst into tears. She ran to Claire who was lying on the floor, barely breathing. Vincent was only watching. He felt useless.

**"Sweetie, she will be fine. Just go to your room and call Cloud, okay?"**  
Tifa said, checking her wounds. She was seriously injured. Cure materia wouldn't help right now.

**"Tifa, what's going on? How..."**  
Vincent started, trying to understand what's going on.

**"I don't know, either... Deepground Soldiers appeared out of nowhere. Then, she told us to hide and then, she was transformed into a Behemoth. We don't have time, Vincent. She's bleeding a lot."**

**"I'll take her to WRO."**  
Vincent held her tightly in his arms. There's no time to waste.

*

**"I can't believe she's still alive with these serious wounds. Well, she will wake up soon."**  
Shalua said. She seemed impressed that Claire was still breathing.

**"Thanks, Shalua."**  
Vincent stated, not looking at her. He felt guilty of what he's done to her. One more sin to be burdened on his shoulders.

**"You knew that already?"**  
Shaula said, adjusting her glasses. She was absorbed in some chart in her hands.

**"Knew what?"**  
Vincent finally looking at her. She stopped flipping the chart. Then, she stopped walking around to face Vincent Valentine.

**"She is the last shapeshifter. Even though most of the data about shapeshifters were discarded, it was well-known among the scientists in Shinra that Hojo performed some kind of experiments on shapeshifters, which means shapeshifters become extinct. Well, I thought they were."**  
She tapped her pen on the chart, saying nonchalantly.

**"I... I didn't know."**  
Vincent looked down. She didn't tell him -us- anything about her. Despite of the years they've known each other, Vincent was totally ignorant of her.

**"Hmph, okay. I'm leaving. Call me if something's wrong."**  
She walked out of the room. Vincent was just sitting at the chair beside the bed where Claire was lying. There's nothing he could do. He had to wait until she's awake.


	2. #2

It felt like few hours passed.  
Claire didn't even inch. Vincent was restless. Shalua told him she would wake up soon. But there was no sign for her to wake up. He was just watching her breathing patiently.  
Another few hours might have passed.  
She let out a soft groan. Vincent raised his head instantly, watching her every move. Claire, who just opened her eyes, tried to figure out where she was, looking at unfamiliar surroundings.

**"Claire, are you okay?"**

**"Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little dizzy."**  
She's startled by his voice right beside her, sitting up on her elbows to be on guard. But soon, she reassured one of her friends who had been staying at her side all this time with a weak smile.

**"Sorry. I didn't know It was you."**

**"Why are you apologizing? It's I who have to apologize. Sorry I didn't tell you what I am before. I caused you so much trouble."**  
Vincent, who never shows his emotions before anyone, sounded unusually fragile. She didn't want to burden him with more sins. Because she knew that he was already overwhelmed by his sins from the past. And what had happened might have been all her fault. What if she hadn't conceal her past and herself from everyone she loves. But she was too afraid to reveal her ugly self.

 **"You are a shapeshifter, aren't you?"**  
Vincent started carefully. Then, it was getting distracting outside the door.

*

**"Sir, you're not allowed to get inside."**

**"I'm her friend. I have to get inside."**

**"Sir!"**  
It was Cloud. It seemed he didn't even bother to meet either Reeve or Shalua first. The guard made futile efforts not to let him in as he had been ordered.  
But Cloud is Cloud. He just pushed the guard like he's nothing and let himself in. He looked desperate to find Claire.

**"Claire!"**

**"Cloud?"**  
Finally, he found her. He ran to her.  
He held her shoulders lightly, trying not to cause her more pain, and checked how serious her wounds were.

 **"Are you okay? I've got a call from Marlene and Tifa. Damn! Who did this?"**  
Cloud was definitely furious at what happened to her and himself. He should've been by their side. Even though they were by his side whenever he needed them, he was always far away when they needed him. He wanted to crush whatever did this to her.

**"Sorry..."**

**"Huh?"**  
He got taken aback by the apology fallen from Vincent's mouth. Cloud didn't expect in the least that it would be Vincent who hurt Claire.

 **"Cloud, calm down. I'm fine. Let me explain, okay?"**  
If she let him speak more, he must've blamed onto himself. She laid her hand on Cloud's callused hand holding her shoulders and said.

 **"Okay. Okay..."**  
He took a deep breath to calm down.  
And he patiently waited for her to explain.

**"Deepground Soldiers came out of nowhere. I had to protect Tifa and Marlene. So I had them hidden and transformed myself into a Behemoth. I think Vincent was passing by the bar. After the situation resolved, Vincent came in and noticed something wrong. Then, I was a Behemoth. He didn't know It was me."**

**"Transformed? In front of Tifa and Marlene?"**

**"Sorry... It couldn't be helped. I couldn't just wait for someone to appear and rescue us."**  
His face started to get stained with guilt.  
 _'If I'd been there...'_ , he thought.

**"But you could've been killed! Deepground Soldiers are not...!"**

**"I know, I know. But I'm fine. Look at me. And Tifa and Marlene are also fine. That's all that matters!"**  
She retorted to his scolding. Both Cloud and Claire are selfless. For them, their families and friends are top priorities.  
He checked her wounds once again with a look of anxiety and regret.

**"You're in the middle of delivery, aren't you? I'm sorry for making you come all this way."**

**"You're more important. I'm glad you're okay."**  
She clasped his hand and said. That was a kind of gesture telling he didn't need to worry about her anymore. He took his hands off her and placed them on his hip as he noticed that sign.

**"Vincent."**

**"Hmm?"**  
He called Vincent indifferently.  
Vincent answered, averting his eyes from him.

 **"I hate to leave her alone. But I've got to go. Could you take care of her? Until she's fully recovered."**  
Someone who didn't know the real Cloud could have thought his words were spat out of his mouth. But inside his voice, there were affection and worries.

 **"Yes. Anyway, I'm the cause."**  
He nodded. Cloud nodded back as though he was satisfied with his response. He walked out after he hugged Claire carefully.


	3. #3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N : I hate to write author's note but I have to. This is just roughly written. It will be edited soon! If anyone wants to get a glimpse of story... well...

The room which Cloud just got out of fell silent. Vincent who had been looking at the door turned his head and glanced at Claire.

 **"It seems Cloud already knew you're a shapeshifter."**  
Vincent started again carefully. Claire who were fidgetting her hands looked him in the eyes.

 **"Ah... yes. It's kind of a long story. Well, I can tell you if you don't mind though."**  
She nervously laughed. She sounded like she's a bit trembling. But her past could no longer be veiled even if she tried to. It had to be uncovered oneday. Vincent nodded as approval. She nodded back and took a deep breath.

 **"Our species was as rare as Cetra. But when I was little, Hojo managed to find us. We didn't know what he was seeking for. He took us far away from our hometown where I can't even remember and started to perform so called experiments. As time went by, my people began to disappear one by one. But oneday, someone saved me from that hell. To be honest, I can't... rememeber clearly. Only the feelings and emotions such as fear, loneliness, sadness... linger inside. But still... I remember what he said. _Don't look back and never come back here. Just run away as far as you can..._ "**  
She tried to remind herself of what'd been past. She frowned a little as if those memories were too blurry to remember. Vincent waited for her to finish.

 **"There's nothing left. No home, no family, no friends... I did whatever I could to escape from Shinra. But in this planet, it's almost impossible to escape from Shinra's grasp. So I had lived, holding my breath for so long. And then, Cloud found me. My appearance... No, I was a monster so he was supposed to kill me. For a few seconds, I even thought like... Isn't it better for me to die? Then, my savior crossed my mind. So I begged of him to spare me just once, showing my real self. Thankfully, he, however, did not only save me but also was willing to be my family."**  
She finished, smiling. She looked happy, thinking about her friends and family.  
But Vincent looked lost in thought. _Did The memories buried deep in his mind which he didn't ever want to be reminded of cross his mind?_

 **"Have you ever... blamed him...?"**  
She tilted her head at his question.  
He didn't gave her a clue. He was merely waiting for her answer.

**"Never. Rather grateful. Thanks to him, I met you guys. This... this is more than I dared hope for."**

He didn't respond. Just he strove to ignore the memories past his mind. The past is like a shackle binding him with unbearable pain. His efforts were futile. The voices begging of him and fragments of dreadful memory rang into his ears.

_"Please, at least for this child! We will stay here obediently... Please!"_

_"Hmm... How about starting with that kid..."_

_"Hojo, that psycho! He's gonna perform experiments on that little kid! That's not an experiment! That's a damn torture!"_

_"Don't look back and never come back here. Just run away as far as you can."_

_"Vincent! Vincent! Don't leave me alone! Vincent!"_

*

**"Vincent? Are you here?"**

**"I was just thinking. It must have been tough for you."**  
Her voice was overlapped. Vincent got out of pitch black darkness, catching his breath. He said, dropping his head. _The reason her name was familiar... I didn't want to..._

 **"It was. But now, everything is fine. Because you guys are here. Right beside me."**  
She replied, holding his arm gently. She sensed his mood change. She put on a reassuring smile to relieve his anxiety. However, she lost balance and fell. He promptly caught her in his arms and helped her to keep balance. No, she's not fully recovered yet.

**"Claire, get some rest."**

**"I think I should. Thanks, Vincent."**  
She rested her head on a quite uncomfortable pillow. Still her soft smile was lingering on her face.

 **"I've done nothing for you to thank me."**  
His hoarse voice died away. He pulled the blanket slightly to let her body rest underneath it.

 **"Yes, you've done. You're here."**  
She said, closing her eyes. Sleep... safe and sound...


End file.
